Discussions about the Verne robotaxis have not quieted down even a week after Mate Rimac presented it at his campus in Kerestinec near Zagreb. Index revealed that the robotaxi was supposed to be operated by a joystick, which was acknowledged by Rimac’s company P3M (Project 3 Mobility LLC) (according to Index.hr). Although I am certainly not one of those who seek to undermine Mate Rimac’s entrepreneurial efforts (after all, major investors are presumably not so foolish as to invest in his projects if they are bad), the fact is that several controversies are associated with the robotaxis.
One is the repeatedly missed deadlines for the completion of this project, and an additional controversy is linked to a statement made by Mate Rimac during last week’s presentation in Kerestinec when he said that his company had already signed contracts with 11 cities in the EU, the UK, and the Middle East and that negotiations were ongoing with another 30 cities. Vehicles are already being tested around the city, and there should be several hundred of them in Zagreb alone when they start their first rides.
Rimac’s words somehow went ‘under the radar’, overshadowed by the fact that the robotaxi did not start at his command and was supposed to be activated by a joystick operated by a person hidden behind the stage. However, the already signed contracts with 11 cities and potential contracts with another 30 should also attract, at the very least, national attention. Or perhaps this information has remained insignificant to the public because of doubts about its veracity, as when we simply wave our hand and say ‘oh, let it go, empty stories’.
With whom were the contracts signed?
Therefore, on Thursday, June 27, we sent an inquiry to Rimac’s company, specifically to Marta Longin, whom we asked to answer a few questions. We inquired about which cities were involved and with whom exactly the contracts were signed. We also sought further clarification – namely, when Rimac’s company says that contracts have been signed with cities, do they mean municipalities, or whom? Because it is indeed a bit strange to phrase it as negotiating with cities as if they are the owners of taxi companies. And even if they were the owners of taxi companies, why would contracts be signed with cities (municipalities) when those companies (if they exist) presumably have their own management?!
Additionally, we were interested in whether the operation of robotaxis is legally regulated in those countries, in which cities the vehicles are being tested, with whom the contract was signed in Zagreb, and which specific cities (the 30) are being negotiated with. The deadline for a response was the next day, June 28 (Friday), considering that Rimac was given enough time for an answer that does not need to be long, and those in the know have all that information.
There was no response, so we decided to wait a few more days. Today is July 3, there is still no response, nor any announcement that one will arrive, so it is, if nothing else, clear that something is amiss with those contracts, or with Mate Rimac’s statement. Because if it is true that contracts have been signed with 11 world cities, it makes no sense not to respond to the questions posed. Moreover, although I am not a marketing expert, if my company signed a contract with just one world city, I would announce it far and wide.
